Black Sea


International actors and agreements in the region

See Global action and Global actors.

UNEP Regional Seas Programme. ••>

UNEP Global programme of action for the protection of the marine environment from land-based activities (UNEP GPA). ••>

UN Economic Commission for Europe. ••>

UNEP Regional Office for Europe. ••>

Regional conventions, agreements, action plans and actors

Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution (Bucharest Convention) • The Black Sea Commission. ••>

Ministerial Declarations on the Protection of the Black Sea: 1993 Odessa Declaration, and 2002 Sofia Declaration. ••>

Black Sea Environmental Programme (BSEP) • Strategic Action Plan for the Rehabilitation and Protection of the Black Sea + Black Sea TDA + Black Sea Ecosystems Recovery Project (and DABLAS Task Force). ••>

Black Sea MoU on Port State Control. ••>

Danube River Protection Convention. ••>

Dnipro Basin Environment Programme. ••>

Organisation on Black Sea Economic Co-operation. ••>

Black Sea and Caspian Sea Environmental Information Centre. Dedicated to providing information to help prepare and train for environmental issues and problems relating to the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. Site developed by the U.S. Department of Energy. Includes, e.g., a Technologies and Training, with links relating to oil spill clean-up technologies and training.

Blackseaweb. A joint project between local partners from Ukraine, the Russian Federation, Romania, and EU partners, focusing on strengthening environmental management for the Black Sea Region. See, e.g., a summary of Environmental Programmes in the Black Sea.

Regional reports on the state of the marine and coastal environment

Black Sea Environmental Programme: Black Sea Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis

Black Sea Commission: State of the Environment of the Black Sea - pressures and trends 1996-2000.

EEA: State of the environment reporting system (SERIS) Black Sea. See also country reports for Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Turkey, and Ukraine.

Assessment of the state of the environment of the Black Sea. Global International Waters Assessment (GIWA).

UNEP: Global Environment Outlook 3 (GEO3). Coastal and marine areas..

University of Rhode Island: Large Marine Ecosystems (LME): The region includes the Black Sea LME.

Private sector and NGOs actors and initiatives

Black Sea NGO Network (BSNN). ••>

MarineCare. A project initiated by Turkish Maritime Pilots' Association, "aiming at increasing international sensitivitiy in internet environment to keep our seas clean". 

Black Sea Region Association of Shipbuilders and Shiprepairers (BRASS). Not available online

Black Sea International Shipowners Association (BINSA). Not available online

International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF). ••>

International Directory of Oil Spill Cleanup Contractors and Response Organisations. ••>

International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA). ••>


Photos: © Lawrence D. Mee and Black Sea Environmental Programme.
Illegal discharge of oil in the Black Sea, and salvage operation to respond to the accident with tanker Nassia in the entrance of the Bosporus in 1994. "Nassia released over 1,000 tons of oil to the sea, causing extensive environmental damage. The incident, one of many which occur in the busy and winding Bosporus, is a sharp reminder of the risks involved in transporting oil and the poor state of preparedness of Black Sea countries in the event of an accident. In 1995 alone, almost 1,500 large tankers navigated the Bosporus travelling to or from Black Sea ports. Since then, traffic has increased further due to the "early" oil shipments from the Caspian oil fields. The risk of more accidents has increased."